PBP- Week 6: Coins

It is pretty common for old spells, especially ones for wealth and prosperity, to include as an ingredient a silver coin. Sometimes in modern books, it will say that a dime can be used in place of this silver coin (as modern coinage, at least in the united states, doesn't actually contain silver anymore). I think there is a tendency to overlook modern things as possible tools of magic, and yet coinage is not only readily available, it also has tons of layers of symbolism that make it very usable.

First and foremost, coins are money. While we often think of them as inconsequential (especially with the modern tendency to do everything electronically), when you are low on cash, you start adding up all those nickels and dimes (and pennies!) and you find they suddenly are much more vital than you otherwise thought. A penny is no longer just an inconvenience (one more thing to toss in your wallet/purse when you don't want to dig through your pockets for exact change....and you always have one less than you need anyways!), but one tiny step towards whatever you are working on...and isn't that a great thing to have when working magic?

American coinage has the phrases “In God we Trust” and “E Pluribus Unim” (which means “out of many, one”). These sentiments can be used in conjunction with the coins to harness these ideals. Consider 'donating' a coin anytime you are putting your faith in the Gods...trusting them to do what is best for you. You can say your blessing or prayer to the coin and leave it somewhere, trusting that it will find it's way to someone else who might need a blessing as well. E Pluribus Unim can help with bringing a group of people together to work towards a common goal. Or you could use it as a focus charm, when you are trying to narrow a huge range of choices or ideas down to just one.

Money is nothing more than a symbol itself...a symbol of the power to get the things we need and want. A penny is the smallest denomination, great for representing a small step towards a greater goal. We encounter pennies all the time: lost on the ground, found in our pockets (or the couch), given as change. If we set ourselves a trigger of “when I encounter a penny I will (insert goal action here)”, think about how many times we will be reminded to work on our goal! Not only that, but if the penny is one you can take, why not set aside a place to keep them. Decorate a jar with images of your goal or working. Whenever you have a penny, focus on your intent and put it in the jar. When the jar is full you can use it to further your goal...or donate it to a cause in honor of your goal (as gratitude).

On the front of the Penny, is Abraham Lincoln. The current reverse is a shield (which has 13 stripes on it). There are quite a few other designs that can be found on the back of the penny: the Lincoln memorial, scenes from Lincoln's life and two wheat heads. Originally made from pure copper, modern pennies are made from copper plated zinc (and amusingly enough cost almost two cents to manufacture). So there are a lot of ways you can go with the penny. Lincoln is probably most famous for outlawing slavery. He also led the country through the Civil war. He is a great symbol for equality and fairness. Wheat is still (for many) a staple food: bread and water being quite iconic of the bare minimum sustenance to survive. This makes the penny (the smallest form of currency) ideal as a representation of always having the basics.

The face of the nickel features Thomas Jefferson, and it's reverse is Montecello (Jefferson's home). In 2005 and 2006, two additional reverses (for each year) were printed in honor of the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's Expedition. These were: an adaptation of an Indian Peace Medal (two hands shaking crossed by two pipes), a keelboat (like the one used for the expedition), a buffalo and a picture of the coastline featuring a quite from one of Clark's journal entries “Ocean in view! O! The Joy!” The five cent coin was originally made of silver and was a 'half-dime' but today the nickel is made of a copper-nickel alloy. The actual cost to manufacture a nickel ranges from three to eleven cents (based on the current metal prices). Jefferson is most well known as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. While there is a lot of controversy involving many of these things, I think that the essence of the ideals they represent can still be harnessed through the nickel. Expansion and exploration, joy of discovery, peace and compromise and independence to name a few. Thinking even further outside of the box, you could use the keelboat to represent a safe (or productive) journey, the coastline to represent the ocean or beach...or even a sense of relaxation.

The front of the dime is a portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the reverse features a torch flanked by an olive branch and an oak branch. Other versions of the dime featured Lady Liberty, and one which (while still representing Liberty) is commonly referred to as the Mercury dime (because she is shown wearing a winged Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom and liberty, with the wings intended to symbolize freedom of thought). The dime was originally made of silver (and made to equal one tenth of a dollars worth of silver, hence it's small size), but today is made of a core of copper plated with Cupronickel (more on this stuff in a bit). I find Lady Liberty a fascinating subject. Sometimes called Columbia, viewed by many as a 'modern' goddess, a creation of America and a feminine personification of the United States itself, I find her to be a very powerful symbol. FDR was the only president to serve more than eight years (and he actually served four terms as president). He is widely know for energizing the country after the Great Depression, refusing to accept defeat at the hands of Polio and setting the United States up as a world power. FDR makes a great symbol of both perseverance and keeping a bright outlook. The reverse also holds very common and powerful symbols: the torch for illumination and the olive branch for peace. The oak branch was intended to be a symbol of strength, and the oak is a very sacred tree in many traditions.

The quarter bears a bust of George Washington on the front and the presidential coat of arms on the back. There have been a lot of alternate quarters in recent years. The bicentennial quarter features a drummer with a torch surrounded by 13 stars. There was a set of quarters with a reverse printed for each of the 50 states, ones for the District of Columbia and the US territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands), and ones featuring a national park or site from each state/DC/territory. The amount of images and symbols that can be found here are astounding. Not only are there often iconic images, many of these quarters feature sayings that can be quite useful as well. Quarters were originally silver, but are currently Cupronickel over a copper core. Washington was, of course, the first president, and is easily linked with foundations, creation and building something out of nothing (also could be used as a symbol for breaking free from another's rule). One of the greatest folklore stories about Washington was how he chopped down the cherry tree and when questioned about it replied that he 'could not tell a lie' and thus is an icon of truthfulness and personal responsibility. The eagle on the reverse is a powerful symbol for many people, often representing strength, leadership and connection to the divine.

Cupronickel (used in many coins, specifically the dime and quarter), has it's roots in alchemy. It is typiacally 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel with trace amounts of manganese and/or iron. It is highly seawater corrosion. Cupronickel was known to the Romans as 'white gold', and to the Chinese as 'white copper', as even though it is primarily copper, it is silver in color. The Greeks called it orichalcum, and made the first coins out of it, around 180 BCE. The Chinese were able to produce it due to deposits of natural ore containing some of the requisite components, and used it like they would gold: for decoration and enhancement. As they began to export it, the western world sought to figure out how to make it, and alchemists strove to discover it's makeup. It was highly desirable as it shared many qualities with silver, and could be used to create cheaper items that would pass as silver. It is interesting that the roots of Cupronickel lead us right to where we are today: finding a way to have something that looks nice but is cheaper to create.

The origin of the alloy leads us to some very interesting options however. There are quite a lot of parallels to the alchemical pursuit of turning lead into gold: the transmutation of the self from base to noble. The resistance to saltwater corrosion lends it to protection, especially from natural elements or disaster.

In addition to the few coins I've talked about there are other coins that can be studied and used magically. And of course, one needn't limit themselves to coins from their own country. Foreign coins provide links to other cultures and a whole new group of symbols! But one thing I do know...coins offer up a buffet of uses and are readily available. There is no need to only use them as silver substitutes.